'SpongeBob Squarepants' storyboard director to discuss the art of animation(Academic)

Have you ever wondered how an animated series evolves from an idea to a complete episode on your television screen? Tuck Tucker, supervising storyboard director of the Nickelodeon animated series "SpongeBob Squarepants," will help demystify the process during his talk, "The Art of Drawing Story." Tucker will share insight gained during his 28-year career in film and television, detailing how he made the transition from growing up in Lynchburg, Va. to becoming a working professional in Los Angeles. His talk will uncover the process of how an episode of an animated series is created--from outlines, premises, and storyboards, to dialogue, animation, and sound effects. Tucker has worked on some well-known projects during his career, including Walt Disney Productions' "The Little Mermaid," "The Simpsons" for Fox Broadcasting Company, and several Nickelodeon series, such as "Rugrats,," "The Ren and Stimpy Show," and "Hey Arnold!" In 2007, he became a writer for the "SpongeBob Squarepants" series, transitioning to supervising storyboard director in 2010. He won an Annie Award, the highest honor given for excellence in animation, for his work on the show in 2011. Tucker's talk, which is part of the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology's ArtsFusion seminar series, is free and open to the public. The event is co-presented with Virginia Tech's School of Visual Arts in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.